Featured

I'm being featured over at the London Times blog. Click here to read my interview and to read more about the Savvy Style Challenge.

Pssst! Have you placed your vote for the Savvy Style Challenge yet?

Head on over to the LT Facebook page to cast your vote and enter this awesome giveaway. The winners of $150 gift card to London Times & $100 Amex card will be announced Oct. 8th so don't miss out.

Bachelorette Survival Kit

This weekend I'll be leaving the mister at home and headed for Las Vegas for my friend's bachelorette weekend. As maid of honor (I refuse to be called "matron" that makes me feel old) I put together a few fun goodies for the girls attending. A bachelorette survival kit, if you will. I found these pink lined straw totes at Target for $2.50 each and spray-painted the bottom half with metallic gold.

Contents:

Plastic bubbly glass (Party City)

energy drink (Target)

debauchery journal (DIY project)

patterned gum (Orbit's bubble mint)

hand sanitizer (Target)

mini bottle of whipped cream vodka (Total Wine)

nuts (Target with DIY label)

pain reliever (mini pill box found at Target with DIY label)

I designed this label for the nuts. So much more fun that way. I made a special tote for the bride - "something blue". I couldn't find a bachelorette sash at Party City if you can believe it, so I just made one using some black ribbon I had handy and a rhinestone iron-on that I found at Hobby Lobby. The flask is from Urban Oufitters.

Ingredients for a good time! All found at Total Wine.

Related post: Bachelorette Invitations

New tech

 1 // 2 // 3

Classy, right?

A trio fit for a girly girl. I would love to upgrade my desktop accessories. They are so old. Still working, but so old and not nearly as pleasing to the eye.

London Times Savvy Style Challenge + Giveaway

Happy Monday. I'm kicking off the week with a Style Parade post and an awesome giveaway. London Times challenged me to style this metallic stripe dress for a day and evening look for under $100. They sent me the dress and a $100 gift card to create these fabulous ensembles. I love a good fashion challenge, don't you?

So here's the fun part. Click on over to London Times and vote for my look and you'll be automatically entered to win a $150 Giftcard to London Times AND a $100 Amex card to complete your own look.

click here to enter the contest and vote.
 

You'll have to click LIKE on the London Times page before you can view the contest.

The winning blogger and fan will be announced on Oct 8th!

For day, I wanted to create a chic look for an on-the-go lifestyle. Perhaps some sightseeing or light errands. The flats keep this look comfortable. In the interest of keeping things light and fuss free, I opted for this adorable heart-shaped bag that you can just sling across your body.

Berets are for looking cute, even on a not so great hair day.

Day look:

Metallic Stripe Dress c/o London Times

Heart handbag: Forever 21; $25

Beret: H&M; $6

Flats: Target; $15

For evening, I turned the belt backwards and added a boyfriend blazer & a geometric statement necklace. In my opinion every girl should have a black blazer in her wardrobe, it is a staple that you will wear season after season.

This fun glitter print clutch picks up the gold threading of the dress. Money saving tip: Cosmetic bags make great casual evening bags. They are the perfect size for just the essentials.

What are your budget fashion tricks? Share in the comments below. 

And don't forget to vote so you can win this dress and create your own look!

Please vote for me, with cherries on top.

Evening look:

Metallic Stripe Dress c/o London Times 

Boyfriend blazer: H&M; $25

Necklace: Forever 21; $10

Glitter dot clutch (cosmetic bag): Forever 21; $5

DIY glitter shoes: Tutorial / All materials available at Michaels; $7

Watch: Daydream Nation

I've been watching a lot of indie flicks lately. I suppose I've grown a bit tired of being burned by mainstream films, like the final installment of C. Nolan's Batman. Anyway, I came across this little gem on Netflix streaming.

Daydream Nation

City girl Caroline Wexler feels like she's spinning her wheels when she moves to a small rural town where she's got nothing in common with anyone -- except her disarmingly handsome teacher, Mr. Anderson.

Ms. Dennings performance is nothing spectacular, I mean how many times can you play the edgy, off-beat love interest with the sexy voice? The balance of the cast - cue Andie MacDowell and Josh Lucas - does a decent enough job carrying the minimal story.

What struck me most about this film is the cinematography. Jon Joffin did an excellent job. Some of my favorites...

If you're a lover of bokeh effects or enjoy how The Killing was shot, you will love this film. Promise.

Halloween Invitation 2012

The mister & I are throwing our annual Halloween soiree again this year. I loved this severed finger in a box idea from Martha Stewart. I imagined our guests receiving their small packages, which is mysterious by itself. I mean who gets packages from friends anymore? Then opening a little box with a surprise finger inside. Great idea...expensive idea at 30 parcels.

Then the mister suggested adapting the idea to a paper invite somehow, which lead me to creating a little video instead. Enter some graphic goodies from Living Locurto via The Graphics Fairy, a Pinterest find, this awesome song from Imogen Heap, which sounds very Danny Elfman/Burtonesque and here's what I came up with...Enjoy! 

DIY Skeleton Key Chandelier

Our downstairs guest bath, aka the black bathroom, got a recent lighting upgrade. An unintentional theme of skeleton keys started to emerge in this room. So when I saw this drum shade at Home Goods for $16, I snagged it. The electrical box is actually installed on the wall above the vanity mirror. I simply used a pendant light hardwire kit from Lowes ($16) and ran the cord to a ceiling mount. 

I found these skeleton keys at Michaels for $1.50 each. I hung them from the drum shade frame using clear twine. I love how it turned out! I can imagine seeing something like this at Anthropologie selling for way more than $40.

Make your own:

Method 1: Cover a plain white shade with key patterned fabric like this one sold on Etsy, then apply to the shade with fabric glue or Mod Podge.

Method 2: Purchase skeleton key vector art and print on inkjet fabric transfer paper. Use an iron to transfer your design.

Purchase real vintage skeleton keys or cast reproductions on Etsy and hang them using clear twine.

DIY glitter shoes

If you follow me on Pinterest, you may have noticed my recent obsession with DIY sparkly shoes. I decided to try my hand at it with this old pair of nude leather shoes. The result is much cheaper than buying a new pair of shoes. I mean, what girl doesn't have a pair of old heels that could use some sprucing up? I must say that I was a little scared that I'd be left with a pair of shoes that looked like a preschooler went crazy with glitter and glue, but I was pleasantly surprised. The project turned out to be very simple and the glitter seems very solid after it dries. 

links: Topshop, Zara

I think the key is to choose your shoe and glitter wisely. Considering this factor before you start will leave you with a classy shoe instead of a trashy shoe. I thought about taking the glitter effect all the way down the heel, but I kind of like the simplicity of just the top part. I also intended on using bright gold or rose gold glitter, but ultimately settled on Martha Stewart fine glitter in Smokey Quartz.

You will need...

• An old pair of heels
• Mod Podge in gloss finish. ($2) I haven't tried it with matte, but I imagine it might dull the glitter
• Glitter. I used Martha Stewart fine glitter in Smokey Quartz ($5)
• Foam brush ($0.20)
• Small, firm angled paint brush ($1)
• Small throw away plate, cup or bowl for mixing

Instructions

• Determine your pattern & trace with a pencil. The options are numerous - Just the heel? Under the heel? The toe? Just a stripe?
• Mix your glue & glitter. There's really no official ratio to this- just make sure the glitter is nice and coated.
• Dip your angled brush in your glitter glue mixture and trace the line of your pattern. Just like you would paint a wall, we're edging in here. I would avoid using painter's tape. Just go nice and slow and if you mess up, just wipe away the excess with a damp cloth.
• Dip your foam brush in the glitter glue mixture and fill in the middle of your pattern.
• The glitter glue will look dull and pasty. Don't worry - it will dry clear and sparkly.
• You will need to do about 3-4 coats. Each coat was pretty much dry by the time I was done painting one shoe, about 5 minutes between coats.
• Let dry overnight before wearing. If you like, spray a crystal clear protective coat like this one from Rustoleum. I didn't, bother with it because the glitter felt like it bonded pretty solid.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you are interested in seeing more of my crafting projects and tutorials, click here. 

2012 Fall Trends: Evergreen & Spice

Evergreen and spice are oh so nice! This lightweight faux leather jacket is perfect for the transitional months while a classic riding boot is still my go-to shoe for fall. For some added warmth, layer with preppy pattern instead of those humdrum tights.

Sonia Kashuk nail color in Emerald City; $5
M.A.C. eyeshadow in Coppering; $15

Apt. 9 twill scarf, available at Kohls; $9

Menswear bow tie, The Tie Bar available on Amazon; $15

Croft & Barrow cloche, available at Kohls; $30

Apt. 9 faux leather jacket; available at Kohls; $45

Vera Wang boots, available at Kohls; $96

Forever 21 tights

Asymmetrical Sparkle Manicure

I was inspired to create this manicure by this divinely gorgeous dress by Rachel Gilbert. I've been admiring my twinkling tips all day.

Get the look 

3 coats of Essie Ballet Slippers. Let dry to tack. Follow up with a light drag of Essie Set in Stones.

Style Parade 9.02.12

So, you're probably looking at this outfit and thinking, "Is she crazy?! It's summertime."

London Times sent me this fantastic crochet maxi dress to style and I instantly saw its potential as a seasonal crossover staple. This is how I would wear it for Fall - paired with a light faux brushed leather jacket and wrap scarf in a beautiful spice shade. The dress is made from a quality jersey-like material and drapes in the most flattering way. It slinks when you walk and I just adore the asymmetrical hemline!

So that was fun. Now I'll show you how I wore it out. I simply ditched the jacket and kept the scarf. I don't know about you but I love a good light scarf on a summer night. Perfect for a casual chic date night.

Crochet Dress c/o London Times Currently on sale for $52 so don't miss out!
Apt. 9 twill scarf, available at Kohls; $9
Apt. 9 faux leather jacket; available at Kohls; $45
Leopard heels,Vera Wang
Watch, Target

Style Parade 9.01.12

So I just realized that I have 3 consecutive weekends of weddings to attend in the fall season, and two of them had bridal showers on this day. Crazy. I wore this to one of the showers, my future sister in law's, which was held at a country club. It was so hot so I'm glad I opted for this hairstyle. 

I felt a bit like I was channeling Audrey Hepburn with my big bun and cat eye shades. I used the sock bun method, which is super easy, although technically this is a hair donut because I didn't have any old socks that I could cut up.

Everything at the shower was super cute. The colors for the shower were black, white and green. Same colors as my wedding but with a different take. I call this theme: gothic garden party. Unexpected and sooo my sister in law! I couldn't get over how freaking cute those cupcakes were.

Dress: Kohl's; $30

Heels: Lela Rose

Clutch: Forever 21

Bracelet: H&M

Cat eyes: Nicole Miller